CULLMAN - A gentle rain fell during set-up, but supporters turned out in droves Saturday morning at Heritage Park for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's 2017 Walk MS: Cullman. Hundreds of people affected by MS- patients, caregivers, family members, loved ones and supporters of all stripes- walked the park to help raise funds to find a cure for the disease, a neurological one that disrupts the nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body.

Sponsor tents provided anyone who came by with ponchos to help guard against the drizzle, but most of the rain cleared up by the time the walk was ready to start.

With live entertainment from Avenue G and lunch provided by sponsors like Jack's and Coca-Cola, walkers made their way around the park in support of their friends and family members with MS. The sound of cowbells from Team LaGanke (from the Joanne P. LaGanke MS Center) could be heard throughout the park, and pom-poms in varying team colors could be seen everywhere.

One team, ACYT Walking with Purpose, shared their reason for walking. "Many employees have family members with multiple sclerosis," said team captain Summer Perry, "us included." She and her husband Eric have parents with MS. Another team, Karma in Cullman, proudly displayed the names of everyone for whom they were walking on their tent.